For Immediate Release:
March 25, 2021

Secretary Leon Panetta to Reflect on Creation of Medicare Hospice Benefit

Panetta to speak at NHPCO’s Leadership and Advocacy Conference, March 26

(Alexandria, Va) – A pioneering champion for hospice care in the United States Congress, Secretary Leon Panetta will address participants during the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) 2021 Leadership and Advocacy Conference on March 26. Secretary Panetta will deliver a live address on Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET during this virtual conference that reaches more than 1,000 leaders and senior managers from across the hospice and palliative care provider community.

“We are so pleased to have Secretary Leon Panetta join us on Friday as a way to honor our beginnings and to honor that work – now almost 40 years later.  Those early days were filled with excitement and urgency as we talked with members of Congress and their staff and convinced fledgling hospice organizations of mostly volunteers that having the Medicare reimbursement would allow hospices to care for more patients,” said NHPCO Vice President for Regulatory and Compliance Judi Lund Person.  “It was also a time before email and common use of computers – so almost everything was done by snail mail and fax.”

The photo above features advocates from the hospice provider community who worked to support the creation of the benefit and ongoing efforts to advance hospice care in this country (Lund Person is seen third from the left in the top row.)

Added Lund Person, “The group that gathered on the Capitol steps in September of 1982 celebrated the passage of the legislation.  It was an important milestone that led to the establishment of regulations and payment for hospice care under Medicare in the U.S.”

While a member of the House of Representatives, Panetta was instrumental in getting the Medicare Hospice Benefit legislation passed in 1982. The legislation was sponsored and championed by Representative Panetta (D-CA) and Representative Bill Gradison (R-OH) in the House and Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) in the opposite chamber.

Hospice would not be what it is today without their efforts. Secretary Panetta will share some reflections as we approach the 40th anniversary of the benefit.

NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach remarked, “We are honored that Secretary Panetta will be addressing the provider community at our conference. His leadership and passion for establishing this new benefit has made hospice care available to millions through the years.”

Secretary Panetta served as White House chief of staff in the Bill Clinton administration. In 2009 he assumed the role as CIA Director and then U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Obama. In 2013, he returned as Chairman of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, which he founded with his wife Sylvia in 1997.

NHPCO’s Leadership and Advocacy Conference is the premier conference for hospice and palliative care leaders, and safely brings our community together to learn, collaborate. Online registration for this virtual event is open online with on-demand conference content available to participants through May 31, 2021.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
March 18, 2021

NHPCO Applauds Confirmation of Xavier Becerra as Secretary of HHS

(Alexandria, Va) – The United States Senate voted today to confirm California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“We applaud the U.S. Senate confirmation of Secretary Xavier Becerra, and we look forward to working with the Secretary to ensure equitable access to hospice and palliative care,” said National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) President and CEO Edo Banach. “Secretary Becerra’s commitment during his confirmation hearing to expanding care for those facing serious and life-limiting illness demonstrates real leadership on a timely and critical issue.”

At the Secretary’s confirmation hearing, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse indicated his support for end-of-life care, saying, “That will show that when you treat people at the end of their lives with more humanity, everybody’s happier and it saves money.” He then asked Becerra “Will you work with me on that?” Becerra responded, “As someone who had his father live with him the last three years of his life, so that when he passed, he passed in his bed in my home, absolutely, I look forward to working with you on that.”

The exchange between Senator Whitehouse and Secretary Becerra is available on Senator Whitehouse’s website, beginning at time index 4:03.

NHPCO and dozens of industry organizations urged the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to launch a community-based palliative care demonstration. The letter cited the potential impact of delivering needed palliative care in the home which would mitigate the spread of disease in our communities and promote health equity among our most vulnerable populations.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
March 11, 2021

Secretary Leon Panetta to Speak at Upcoming NHPCO Conference

Panetta will offer a live address on Friday, March 26

(Alexandria, Va) – Secretary Leon Panetta will join the line-up of speakers for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) upcoming 2021 Leadership and Advocacy Conference, March 22 – 26. Secretary Panetta will deliver a live address on Friday, March 26 at 12:30 p.m. EST during this virtual conference that draws leaders and senior managers from across the hospice and palliative care provider community.

A pioneering champion for hospice care in the United States Congress, while he was a member of the House of Representatives, Panetta was instrumental in getting the Medicare Hospice Benefit legislation passed in 1982. Sponsored and championed by Representative Panetta (D-CA) and Representative Bill Gradison (R-OH) in the House and Senator Bob Dole (D-KS) in the opposite chamber, hospice would not be what it is today without their efforts. Secretary Panetta will share some reflections as we approach the 40th anniversary of the benefit.

“The advocacy of these men has made a difference in the lives of millions of Americans who have availed themselves to the person- and family-centered care that hospice brings to more than 1.5 million Americans every year,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. “We are honored that Secretary Panetta will be addressing the provider community at our conference.”

Secretary Panetta served as White House chief of staff in the Bill Clinton administration. In 2009 he assumed the role as CIA Director and then U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Obama. In 2013, he returned as Chairman of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, which he founded with his wife Sylvia in 1997.

NHPCO’s Leadership and Advocacy Conference is the premier conference for hospice and palliative care leaders, and safely brings our community together to learn, collaborate. Online registration for this virtual event is open online.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
March 8, 2021

Diversity & Inclusion In-service Included as Part of NHPCO’s 2021 Leadership and Advocacy Conference

Let’s Talk About Equity: A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Microlearning Module

(Alexandria, Va) – A study by McKinsey showed organizations that train on ethnic diversity show a 35 percent better than national average financial return. Diversity training is an important step in achieving that goal. Training helps employees become more aware of unconscious bias and other barriers to diversity and inclusion, and motivates positive behaviors and attitudes – essential for creating and maintaining a respectful, inclusive workplace.

That is why NHPCO has created an important training that will help make facilitating this important conversation much easier for leaders, managers, and teams.  All those who register for NHPCO’s 2021 Leadership and Advocacy Conference will receive access to this special program and downloadable workbook, Let’s Talk About Equity: A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Microlearning Module.

NHPCO has partnered with Nonprofit HR to bring you this training that is designed to be used as a constructive in-service with your entire team but can also be completed individually to ensure all team members can participate.

The training is led by Emily Holthaus, Managing Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Nonprofit HR. Click here to preview an introduction by Emily Holthaus.

As part of our strategic priorities, NHPCO is committed to access and inclusion. The Diversity Advisory Council has released a number of resources that address this important topic.  This helpful resource created for LAC21 participants will add to the available resources on diversity, equity and inclusion.

The LAC21 will be hosted virtually, March 22 – 26, 2021.  Participants will have access to Let’s Talk About Equity: A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Microlearning Module beginning on March 22.  Those enrolled in LAC21 will have access to all on-demand conference content, including this special program through May 31, 2021.

Register for the 2021 Leadership and Advocacy Conference today.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
March 5, 2021

CMS Announces Primary Care First Model’s Seriously Ill Population Component Will Not Begin on April 1, 2021

(Alexandria, Va) – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that the Primary Care First (PCF) Model’s Seriously Ill Population (SIP) component is “under review and will not begin on the previously announced April 1, 2021 launch date.”

According to CMS, both practice and payer applicants will be notified of any updates on a rolling basis, as information becomes available. Updates for the SIP component will also be posted to the CMS Innovation Center’s Primary Care First Model Options resources page.

As the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) anticipated this delay, work is currently underway with the CMS Innovation Center on the SIP model to ensure that beneficiaries facing serious illness will have access to high-quality, person-centered care.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
March 2, 2021

NHPCO Announces Sponsorship of National Industry Research Study

Providers are Encouraged to Complete Input Survey

(Alexandria, Va) – The nation’s hospice community is changing at an unprecedented rate. Last year the field faced its biggest challenge—COVID-19. This combined with patient access and staffing shortages are forcing provider organizations to redefine themselves. To do this, national-level research is needed that will guide programmatic efforts and help define what it means to provide health care in the home.

For this reason, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is proud to be co-sponsoring a national study designed to help the hospice community both manage and provide quality outcome-driven care in the new reform environment.  Known as the 2021 National Healthcare at Home Best Practices and Future Insights Study, the research project will help identify best practices that agencies can implement to position themselves for future success. The results promise to be the largest and most comprehensive ever released on the delivery of home health and hospice in the United States.

Methodology for the study will include three phases. Phase I, which is now open, includes a web-based input survey allowing anyone in the field to suggest issues and questions they would like to see addressed in the study.

NHPCO encourages all agencies to complete the
online input survey. 
Deadline to complete the input survey is Friday, March 12, 2021.

Phase II will involve an in-depth online survey with input from nearly 1,000 agency leaders. The final phase will include distribution of free national data and reports as well as presentations at national and state conferences.

“This survey will provide national-level information to help researchers identify important issues and better understand what it means to provide quality care in the home setting,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach.

A unique feature of the study is the collaboration between national associations.  Co-sponsors joining NHPCO include National Association of Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), NAHC Forum of State Associations, LeadingAge, Home Care Association of America (HCAOA), and Council of State Home Care and Hospice Associations.  National best-practice research firm BerryDunn will design and facilitate the national effort with the assistance of Delta Health Technologies and HealthPivots as technology and data sponsors.

Provider organizations interested in participating in the national survey can provide their contact details as part of the input survey or contact hcresearch@berrydunn.com. More information about the survey can also be found on the BerryDunn study website.

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Survey Contact:  hcresearch@berrydunn.com

NHPCO Contact: jradulovic@nhpco.org

For Immediate Release
February 24, 2021

New Hospice and Palliative Care Outreach Guide for Black and African-American Communities

NHPCO Diversity Advisory Council Resource Promotes Access to Quality Care Via Outreach & Inclusion

(Alexandria, Va) – Today, in recognition of Black History Month, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) released a new resource, Black and African-American Outreach Guide. This outreach guide is an updated version of a previous NHPCO resource, with new content developed by NHPCO’s Diversity Advisory Council (DAC).

The guide was released in conjunction with a DAC social media takeover day, when the council used NHPCO’s social media platforms to share information about disparities that exist in hospice and palliative care and provide resources that can help improve access to care, including the updated outreach guide.

The topics covered in the outreach guide include disparities in Black/African-American health, outreach as a standard of practice,  and strategies for reaching out to Black/African-American communities.

“Hospice and palliative care providers have always been open to caring for anyone who is at the end of life, and that’s what I love about what we do,” said Marisette Hasan, President/CEO of The Carolinas Center and member of NHPCO’s Diversity Advisory Council, in an interview aired during the DAC social media takeover day.

“But as it relates to us working with the community, we have to customize what works for them,” Hasan continued. “So we have to create listening sessions, we have to engage in partnerships. And that guide really gives you a roadmap of what you can do to be successful.”

NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach noted, “In NHPCO’s current facts & figures report, we show that 8.2 percent of Medicare beneficiaries receiving hospice care in 2018 were African American, a statistic that has been constant in recent years. We must re-commit ourselves to doing better to ensure equitable access to all diverse communities. We hope that resources like this outreach guide will help expand the reach of hospice and community-based palliative care.”

Download Black and African-American Outreach Guide (PDF).

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
February 21, 2021

NHPCO Message of Remembrance Upon 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths in the U.S.

Hospice and Palliative Care Programs are Lighthouses of Hope and Support for the Grieving

(Alexandria, Va) – Today, it is with a heavy heart that we at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) acknowledged that there have now been in the United States alone, 500,000 COVID-19 related deaths. For each COVID-19 related death, there are an average of nine people grieving. Thus, today, we remember those who have died from this isolating disease and hold space for the 4,500,000 friends and family who are grieving.

The magnitude of the impact is staggering. When we hear those numbers spoken aloud and consider their meaning in our own lives and within our community, we recognize in particular that there have been many people in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, including children, low-income families and persons from racial and ethnic minority groups. Our country is grieving as a part of this.

We invite you to spend a moment of silent reflection. In the silence, know that we come alongside one another and bring to the forefront of our hearts and minds those who have died. We, as the hospice and palliative care provider community, remember them and come alongside one another in spirit to support those who are grieving. We see and are here for you.

Our hospice and palliative care programs are lighthouses of hope and support for those who are grieving. For decades, it has been our privilege to come alongside those who are grieving to help them to navigate that journey. Whether their loss was from someone who died on a hospice service or not, hospices offer information, grief counseling, and grief support groups to anyone who is interested.

From the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, we wish to say thank you to health care workers, as well as hospice and palliative care programs for their tireless efforts and caring for COVID-19 patients and their families, as well as their care of the dying and bereaved.

For more information, or to find a helpful connection about grief resources, contact a local hospice in your area, or visit www.nhpco.org. In the wake of this great loss, we remember our family and friends who have died. We see you and are with you in grief, and we are here for one another.

“500,000 people have died of COVID-19– now our nation’s leading cause of death. NHPCO and its interdisciplinary team of members grieve alongside our nation and world, and recommit ourselves to our Vision – ‘A world where individuals and families facing serious illness, death, and grief will experience the best that humankind can offer.’’
– NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach.

Watch the video of NHPCO’s Statement of Remembrance on YouTube.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
W: 571-412-397
C: 703-340-6201

Note: More information on grief and loss is available via NHPCO’s CaringInfo website.

For Immediate Release:
February 19, 2021

President Biden Nominates Chiquita Brooks-LaSure for CMS Administrator and Appoints Liz Fowler as Director of CMMI

NHPCO Congratulates Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Liz Fowler and Looks Forward to Continued Collaboration with CMS to Advance Person-Centered Care

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) congratulates Chiquita Brooks-LaSure on her nomination as the next Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Liz Fowler on her appointment as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Director.

Brooks-LaSure is a longtime health policy expert that currently serves as a managing director at Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips, LLP. Brooks-LaSure has previous experience as a top official at CMS leading all policy work for the office responsible for implementing coverage provisions and enforcing health insurance reforms under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) during the Obama Administration. Brooks-LaSure also led work on health reform as professional staff for the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill.

Fowler currently serves as the Executive Vice President for Programs at the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation focused on health care, after leaving Johnson and Johnson in 2019. During the drafting of the ACA, Fowler was the chief health counsel for the Senate Finance Committee and upon passage, she worked on implementation at the Department of Health and Human Services and was a special assistant to President Barack Obama on health care and economic policy at the National Economic Council.

“We are thrilled that Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Liz Fowler will serve as leaders of CMS. They understand the inner workings of government and have a deep appreciation for health advocacy,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. “We look forward to working closely with Ms. Brooks-LaSure and Ms. Fowler to ensure care for our most vulnerable populations as we battle COVID-19 and support the mission of the hospice and palliative care provider community to advance person-centered care.”

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
February 9, 2021

A Message from Edo Banach:
NHPCO Salutes Diane Meier for Her Contributions to the Field

On behalf of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, I want to recognize Diane Meier, MD, FACP, for her many meaningful contributions to the field of palliative care.

Twenty-two years ago, Dr. Meier recognized the essential need of increasing society’s understandings and access to high-quality palliative care and founded the Center to Advance Palliative Care. The contributions of CAPC have served as an important catalyst for greater access, and Dr. Meier’s professional and personal commitment to advancing palliative care is to be celebrated as she marks this transition in her career assuming a new role as Director Emerita and Strategic Medical Advisor in April.

We thank Dr. Meier for her commitment to advancing the field and her service as Past-President of the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care, as well as her support for the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care on the development and publication of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, now in its 4th edition.

Congratulations to Brynn Bowman, MPA, who will succeed Dr. Meier as the organization’s new Executive Director. I look forward to ongoing collaboration with CAPC and our other partners as we work together to care for everyone in need of palliative and hospice care during this public health emergency and beyond.

Edo Banach, JD
President and CEO
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Alexandria, Virginia

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